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National Car Rental launches its annual One Two Free promotion for Emerald Club members. The promotion offers one free rental day for every two qualifying rentals.

The earned free day may be redeemed to cover the base rate for a rental day, but excludes taxes, governmentally authorized or imposed surcharges, license recoupment/air tax recovery, concession recoupment fees, airport and airport facility fees, fuel, one-way rental charge, additional driver fee or optional items, which shall be the responsibility of the renter.

A qualifying rental is the paid rental, via the Emerald Club, of a midsize or larger vehicle at participating locations in the 50 United States, for two or more consecutive days during the promotion.

Each qualifying car rental completed during the "One Two Free" promotion is worth 300 points, with a free day awarded once an Emerald Club member earns 600 points. National increased the earning opportunities by adding bonus points when renting in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. You can earn up to 50 free rental days with the promotion, which includes an earning period through Jan. 31, 2016.

>Current Emerald Club members can register for the promotion online. Free days earned for qualifying rentals through "One Two Free" are awarded in addition to a member's chosen rewards earnings (frequent traveler miles/points or rental credits).

Up to three free days can be redeemed per rental at any time, including weekends. In keeping with the speed and convenience of the Emerald Club rental experience, National promptly notifies participants about their free rental days via email.

Seattle's One Regional Card for All (ORCA) adds a new regional day pass, a program to make it easy for visitors and local residents to use Seattle's public transportation services.

For adults, a Regional Day Pass costs $8. For seniors (65+) or disabled persons with an ORCA Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP), the cost is $4. The Regional Day Pass is valid for unlimited rides on transportation services with fares up to $3.50. These services include the bus, light rail, commuter rail, street car and foot ferry operated by Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit and Sound Transit.

When you buy a new adult ORCA card and one Regional Day Pass, your total cost is $13. Then each additional day pass you load on that ORCA card is $8.

The Regional Day Pass is not valid on Washington State Ferries, King County Metro Access Transportation or paratransit services.

Other transit services ‘day passes’ in the area include Pierce Transit, Seattle Streetcar, and Sound Transit (for Link light rail and Sounder trains) which offer day passes for their specific service.

Passes will be available at ORCA revalue locations, online, by mail and by phone.

Put the Buccaneer Resort on your winter horizon. Book now for their January sale with Historic Great House ocean view rooms from $357 per night for stays Jan. 3 to 31, 2016.

Founded in the 17th century and recognized by the National Trust as a Historic Hotel of America, the resort features 138 rooms and suites set on 340 beachfront acres in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Island.

For active fun, the resort’s Mermaid and Grotto Beaches each have a water-sports center with ocean kayaks, snorkeling gear, mats and floats, sand toys and towels available for guests’ free use. Beach attendants host weekly snorkeling and kayaking tours to showcase the bays and sea life. Volleyball, soccer, corn hole, ping pong and beachside basketball are also offered.

Free learn-to-scuba classes are available for guests 10 years old and over. When you complete this two-hour session, you can shallow open water dive either the same day or another day during your stay at extra charge.

The Buccaneer also features a tennis center and par 70, 18-hole golf course.

Rocky Mountaineer launches its Peaks and Perks, giving you more reasons to plan a Rocky Mountain rail adventure.

For a limited time, book eligible 2016 Rocky Mountaineer packages and receive an added value of up to $800 per couple to customize your trip with extra hotel nights, activities or tours. Qualifying packages in GoldLeaf and SilverLeaf Service of seven nights or more will receive a $400 bonus for each guest, and shorter packages of four to six nights will receive a $250 bonus for each guest.

One eligible Rocky Mountaineer vacation is the 10 night Coastal Passage Western Explorer package that begins in Seattle and includes Vancouver, Kamloops, Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff before concluding in Calgary. Highlights include three days onboard the Rocky Mountaineer, an Icefields Parkway tour, the Banff Gondola and helicopter flightseeing over the Rockies.

The Peaks and Perks offer is in effect until Oct. 30, 2015 on eligible new 2016 bookings. The offer is applicable for select travel dates and must be requested at the time of booking. This offer has no cash value. Other restrictions apply.

Dominica is famous for its whales and reefs, with two thirds of all known whales species either resident or visiting the waters around the island each year. In addition to providing diving and snorkeling, Buddy Dive on Dominica offers whale watching trips.

To celebrate this milestone, Buddy Dive on Dominica offers free boat dives. Book any package and get three one-tank boat dives out of the package for free. Packages start from $994 per person per week. This special is valid for travel until Dec. 14, 2015 and can only be booked when mentioning "Press Release Dominica."

The largest architectural festival in Chicago draws thousands of people to the city. The Chicago Architecture Foundation's (CAF) Open House Chicago (OHC) is Oct. 17 and 18, and includes 200 of the city's greatest spaces from 20 neighborhoods across the city. This free event offers behind-the-scenes access to many areas that are normally open “by invitation only.”

OHC invites you to take self-guided visits throughout the following Chicago neighborhoods:

Bridgeport / Back of the Yards

Bronzeville

Downtown

Edgewater

Evanston

Garfield Park / North Lawndale

Gold Coast

Goose Island

Hyde Park

Lakeview

Lincoln Park

Lincoln Square / Ravenswood

Near West Side / West Town

Pilsen

South Loop / Prairie Avenue

Pullman

Rogers Park

South Shore

Ukrainian Village

Using a printed event guide or openhousechicago.org, you can select from 200 sites in neighborhoods you want to explore and create your own self-guided experiences.

Access to OHC sites is free and does not require a reservation, but you are encouraged to sign up to receive event newsletters and last-minute announcements. Sites will accept visitors on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition to free access, OHC offers activities in various sites all weekend long, including cultural performances, lectures, and workshops.

Azul Brazilian Airlines, Brazil's largest airline by cities served, introduces the Azul Brazil Air Pass offering 10 days and 21 days of unlimited flights throughout Brazil. Fly to any of Azul’s 100 destinations for $299 for the 10 day air pass and $399 for the 21 day air pass.

The air pass is available via US travel agencies or by calling Azul's Customer Service for customers with roundtrip tickets purchased from any city in the United States to Brazil. Eligible itineraries must originate in the US, flown wholly on Azul or a combination of Azul and United Airlines.

Azul's air pass is on sale until Nov. 30, 2015 and travel must be completed by Dec. 15, 2015. Some restrictions and black-out dates apply. Baggage fees, restrictions and black-out dates apply.

With the Atlanta CityPASS package, you receive accommodations with up to two Atlanta CityPASS booklets with admission to Fernbank Museum of Natural History or College Football Hall of Fame plus the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Inside CNN Studio Tour, Zoo Atlanta or Center for Civil and Human Rights. Rates range from $209 to $319 per night.

The LEGOLAND Discovery Center Atlanta package features deluxe accommodations with four tickets to LEGOLAND (two adults and two children). Rates range from $179 to $289 a night.

No matter which Atlanta hotel package you choose, free amenities include Wi-Fi, a shuttle service to attractions within three miles, hot breakfast daily and on-site parking.

To take advantage of the Atlanta CityPASS package, book reservations using promotional code XYO. For the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Atlanta package, mention promotional code ARN when booking online or by phone.

International Expeditions offers cabins with no single supplement fees on all 2015 and 2016 Cuba Voyage, Raja Ampat cruise departures and all Zambia safaris.

International Expeditions first began waiving single supplement fees on their most popular small-ship cruise programs in 2012, and offers cabins with no single supplements on their two Amazon cruise itineraries and Galapagos cruises.

Cuba Voyage - Travel from Cienfuegos to Havana aboard the Panorama on IE's new Cuba Voyage. In addition to a walking tour of Trinidad, you stop on the island of Cayo Largo, the western Guanahacibes Peninsula, and the Viñales Valley. Other highlights of this people-to-people itinerary include learning about Cuban medicine and mass communication, dance lessons, local choir and theater performances, pottery workshops, visits to museums, and calling on artists in their studios.

Raja Ampat - The four islands of Raja Ampat — Misoool, Salawati, Batanta, and Wiageo are one of the world's most biodiverse marine region. During International Expeditions' 17-day Raja Ampat adventure aboard the nine-cabin WAOW, you can take part in naturalist-guided snorkeling, diving, kayaking, and stand-up paddle boarding excursions.

Zambia Safari - Travel into the country's unspoiled parks with a group of no more than 10 travelers. In two national parks — South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi — the wildlife-viewing and adventure come alive during daily game drives, bush walks, nighttime game drives, and canoe excursions in remote areas.

Scenic Cruise’s 11- and 12-day Bordeaux cruises for 2016 mix history, wines and foods. Scenic rewards people who plan ahead with free international air from U.S. and Canada gateways if you book your cruise Oct. 31, 2015. This applies to all categories of accommodation. Fares range from $5,095 to $8,890 per person, double occupancy.

The two itineraries are identical excepting an overnight Paris hotel stay on the 12-day version. After exploring Paris, you depart the following morning on the Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV) for Bordeaux and the Scenic Diamond. Highlights of the next 10 days include Cadillac; Saint-Émilion; Libourne; Cognac; Médoc; and Arcachon.

Scenic includes personalized service with a 3:1 guest to staff ratio, butler service and unlimited free beverages, full-size private balcony suites with lounges that convert from open air to a sealed sun lounge, a choice of six dining options, all gratuities, local guides, and all activities and enrichment events.

On-board river highlights and on-shore experiences are enhanced by Scenic’s Tailormade, a handheld GPS guided tour system, included and provided to every guest. The only thing that can be bought on a Scenic ship besides gifts to take home is a massage or a haircut/styling.

Choice Privileges, the guest-loyalty program for Choice Hotels International, offers a Stay Two Times, Earn a Free Night promotion. After taking two separate trips by Nov. 11, 2015, Choice Privileges members in the U.S. and Canada will receive up to 8,000 points, enough for a free night at 1,500 hotels.

To participate in the promotion, register at ChoiceHotels.com before check-out. You can then make reservations on ChoiceHotels.com, the Choice Hotels mobile app, or by calling 800/4CHOICE. Corporate travelers can make accommodations through a travel agent or corporate online booking system.

The San Francisco Travel Association and Lyft create a promotion partnership. As part of the partnership, San Francisco Travel introduces an ongoing “Ride About Town” credit of up to $10 for first-time Lyft users.

Started in 2012, Lyft is a mobile app that connects passengers with a community of local drivers, easy to spot by the bright pink “Glowstache” displayed on their dashboards.

Everyone benefits when it's easy to access transportation options like Lyft. Drivers often share their favorite restaurant or other hidden gems with passengers - helping travelers experience San Francisco through the eyes of a local.

To obtain the “Ride About Town” credit, go online. Or download the Lyft app. Go to the "Payment" section and enter the code: RIDEABOUT. Current Lyft users can refer friends through the app and both users get a $10 credit.

Safety is a priority for Lyft, which implements strict safety criteria to protect the community. In California, Lyft provides insurance coverage that acts as primary to the driver's personal policy from the time the app is turned on. When the app is on but the driver has not yet been matched with a passenger, Lyft provides up to $100,000 total per incident. An additional $200,000 in excess coverage is also provided. From the time the driver has been matched with a passenger until the ride has ended in the app, Lyft provides $1 million of commercial liability insurance and uninsured/underinsured coverage and contingent comprehensive and collision coverage.

Captain Cook Cruises offers 25 percent off Murray River cruises from Jan. 1 to Feb. 26, 2016, with their Summer Sun Sale. Discover the Murray River in Australia and the Murray's food and wine trail from $695 per person, based on double occupancy. The regular price is normally $1266 per person

On the Murray River you’ll discover Australian history and culture, terrain and wildlife on the newly refurbished PS Murray Princess, a replica of the paddle wheelers that cruised the Murray in the 1800s.

The Murray Princess has two paddlewheel lounges with wood and gold trim, a spiral staircase and two-story glass windows with views of the working paddle wheel.

Day trips include visits to historic ports, Aboriginal sites, a sheep station and woolshed and a native wildlife shelter.

Follow the food and wine trial for tastings at vineyards and cellar doors, and one evening enjoy an Aussie-style campfire barbecue on the riverbank.

The three nights Discovery cruise departs Mannum every Friday at 4.30 p.m. and prices start from $695 per person twin share, normally $926 per person.

Off attractions near the five Orlando hotels include Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, LEGOLAND, Aquatica, Universal Studios and the Mall at Millenia.

To receive the Weekend Wintervention package, you must book a two-night minimum stay that includes a Friday or Saturday night. Reserve rooms by calling 800/327-6677 and mentioning promotional code P91.

Historic Hotels in America offers fall rates at many properties that includes Historic Hotels Worldwide.

Book a night on the Historic Hotels website and receive a free one-year family membership (a $30 value) to the U.S. National Trust for Historic Preservation.

This provides up to 30 percent off the best available rates at participating Historic Hotels Worldwide. National Trust for Historic Preservation discounts are available at participating hotels for new bookings made after the initial booking and membership are confirmed and processed. Bookings must be made on the Historic Hotels of America website. This promotion expires Dec. 31, 2015 and is limited to new members of The National Trust for Historic Preservation. Book your rooms by entering Rate Code: NHP.

Fall rates include:
Hacienda Jurica in Queretaro, Mexico, with rates from $91 per night.
Wyndham Merida in Merida, Mexico, with rates from $44 per night
Quinta Real Puebla in Puebla, Mexico, with rates from $84 per night.

Fourth graders can register for a one-year “Every Kid in a Park” pass from the National Park Service to visit U.S. National Parks and Monuments with their families for free.

To get your Every Kid in the Park pass.

Your free fourth grade National Parks pass is valid from the September you start fourth grade through the end of the following summer. Those in fourth grade during the 2015-2016 school year can use it through Aug. 31, 2016. Home-schooled fourth graders are included. To get the free National Park pass, you’ll answer a few questions to earn it.

Follow this link to the official Every Kid in a Park site to get your free National Parks pass. Once you’ve answered a few questions to earn it, you can print your pass from your computer.

Trade in your paper Every Kid in a Park pass for a commemorative credit-card style pass at certain National Park locations. Follow this link to see which National Parks offers these special passes.

At National Parks where admission is charged for private vehicles rather than per person (eg. Arches, Yosemite, Yellowstone, etc.), the carload of passengers accompanying the pass-holding fourth grader gets in free. Show your printed pass to the ranger at the park entrance. Where there is no ranger, leave the pass displayed on your dashboard.

The Every Kid in a Park pass will not cover ferry or boat admission to National Park sites, nor private tours, campground fees, or other activities that cost in addition to park entrance fees.

Many National Parks offer Junior Ranger educational programs and the chance to earn Junior Ranger badges.

There is no limit to how many National Parks, Lands, or Monuments you can visit with a valid pass.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection offers cruise and air savings on 2016 Europe and Asia departures. Couples can save up to $5,000 when booking Business Class air or up to $3,000 when booking Economy Class air. Choose from 14 European itineraries departing March through August 2016, and “Timeless Wonders of Vietnam, Cambodia & the Mekong” departures Dec. 30, 2015 through March 2016.

To take advantage of the cruise and air savings, book and pay for your cruise or cruise/tour and air in full at time of booking before Oct. 31, 2015.

For years, the only way you could get a Coke was at the soda fountain. A soda jerk would make your soda to order, by putting about an inch of syrup in the bottom of the glass, then filling the glass with carbonated water and stirring it. In fact Coca-Cola started as a soda fountain beverage selling for five cents a glass, created by an Atlanta pharmacist in 1866.

It took decades before someone figured out how to bottle soda. Without the invention of a bottling system, invented by Joseph A. Biedenharn of Vicksburg, MS, Coca Cola and other soda brands would not be world-famous today. Biedenharn’s invention helped the soft drink spread beyond the soda fountain. Today, Coca-Cola is sold in more than 200 countries.

In 1894, Biedenharn, a businessman and owner of the Biedenharn Candy Company, made a world changing decision. So his customers in areas away from downtown Vicksburg could enjoy Coca-Cola, he and his brother Herman put Coca-Cola in a bottle making the Biedenharn Candy Company the first to bottle Coca-Cola. The candy company was already selling bottled plain soda water. So, mixing in some Coca-Cola syrup and bottling was no big deal.

The first Coca-Cola bottle was called a Hutchinson stopper bottle. The stopper came up from the bottom, held in place by the pressure of the carbonated beverage. That’s how soda got its pop. When you push the stopper down in the bottle, the pressure that had been pushing up on that stopper holding it in place, that pressure was released all at once and it went “pop."

In 1912, Biedenharn relocated to Monroe, Louisiana so the family could expand its Coca-Cola bottling business. From his candy company beginnings, Biedenharn presided over an empire. Under his leadership, Biedenharn’s sons, brothers and grandsons created one of the top 10 largest bottling corporations in the U.S.

The only daughter of Joseph Biedenharn, Emily-Lou Biedenharn, was a noted opera singer who left the family home in Monroe in the early 1920s to pursue a singing career. In the years before World War II, she enjoyed a 14 year career as a Wagnerian contralto.

On Emmy-Lou Biedenharn’s death, the Biedenharn’s family home became a museum and buildings on the property exhibit Emmy-Lou’s collection of antique bibles, a museum of Coca-Cola exhibits that gave rise to the family fortune and lush gardens.

The Coca-Cola museum showcases two exhibit rooms full of Coca-Cola memorabilia and historical items. There are ice chests and coolers, a collection of vintage signs, an original Model-T Coke delivery truck and a chance to buy an eight ounce Coke for a nickel from a working Coca-Cola machine. That's how much a Coke cost before twist-off caps. Perhaps the most nostalgic for those of a certain age is the replica soda fountain where a soda jerk soda made your Coke to order. Museum items come from the time when bottles were glass and returnable.

Beyond the Coca Cola exhibits, rooms inside the Biedenharn's home reflect Emmy-Lou's eclectic taste. When on the house tour, you feel as if you stopped by to visit Emmy-Lou as the house appears as if the family still lives there. Seeing how the Biedenharns lived connects you to Emmy-Lou’s gracious lifestyle. The house tour includes furniture and antiques featured throughout including crystal chandeliers, high tester beds and artistic accessories celebrating Emmy-Lou's brief European singing career. In the furnishings and accents, one will see her love of music, nature and family.

After returning from Europe, Emy-Lou created the El-Song Gardens. The walled English Garden, which is a little more than an acre, employs three fulltime gardeners and features thousands of flowering plants and sculptures from around the world, water features and a conservatory patterned after fine English glass houses. The focal points of the garden are the Wagnerian Fountain located on the north end of the Ballet Lawn and the Monet garden, where all the flowers are white. During the colder winter months, there may not be flowers growing outside, but are colorful displays in the conservatory, home to ferns, palms, and colorful flowers.

The Bible Museum, next door to the Biedenharn home, was inspired by a gift from Joe Biedenharn to Emy-Lou - an 1848 facsimile of the Wycliffe Bible. The collection contains a number of rare and historically important Bibles including an original 1611 King James Bible, art Bibles and a page from the 1454-55 Gutenberg Bible, the most valuable piece in the collection. In addition to the extensive Bible collection, the Biedenharn features exhibits of Russian Icons from the Daniel R. Bibb collection, and temporary exhibitions covering a variety of topics.

Fall is a good time to visit Nova Scotia and Nova Star Cruises offers value vacation packages so you can plan a fall getaway.

Nova Star Discovery packages include roundtrip passage on the Nova Star cruise ferry with vehicle transport, and a cabin on the overnight voyage, plus lodging at leading hotels and resorts.

Besides providing value compared to booking ferry passage and lodging separately, Nova Star Discovery packages provide itineraries to match your length of stay. Packages range from an overnight stay in Yarmouth to a week-long tour throughout all regions of the Province.

Price will vary depending on the dates of travel. Prices are in US dollars, for two adults based on double occupancy, with a non-commercial vehicle up to 20 feet. The price does not include port fees and fuel surcharges. Vehicle transport is not included in the 48-Hour Yarmouth Sampler package.

Nova Star Discovery value vacation packages:

48-Hour Yarmouth Sampler (two nights from $249 ppdo) Sail to Nova Scotia and spend a day and night in the seaport town of Yarmouth. No vehicle needed — shuttle service and tours go to and from the Rodd Grand Yarmouth Hotel.

Resort to Relaxation (three nights from $339 ppdo) Includes two nights at Digby Pines Golf Resort & Spa, on the Bay of Fundy, or White Point Beach Resort on the Atlantic Ocean. Both resorts are less than two hours drive from the ferry terminal.

Be a Haligonian (four nights from $429 ppdo) Enjoy music, arts, culture, food and history as you explore Halifax like a native “Haligonian.” Includes two nights at your choice of Halifax hotels, plus one night at the Rodd Grand Yarmouth Hotel.

Treasures of the South Shore (four nights from $449 ppdo) Discover Mahone Bay, Lunenburg and the mystery of the Oak Island treasure hunt. Includes two nights at Atlantica Oak Island Resort, plus one night at the Rodd Grand Yarmouth Hotel.

Nova Scotia Explorer (seven nights from $529 ppdo) Explore the full length of Nova Scotia. Journey through the Annapolis Valley to the Bay of Fundy, then Halifax, Cape Breton Island, and finish with on the South Shore.

Cheap Tix Chart
-- Buy Tickets at a Discount -- Special ticket outlets sell discounted day-of-performance tickets to theater productions, films, and sporting events. Discounts can be 50 percent or more. On The Go Publishings
Cheap Tix Chart, still only $14, lists outlets in the U.S. and eight foreign cities that sell discounted, day-of-performance tickets. Click here
to order the Cheap Tix Chart from On The Go Publishing.

Free Fun San Diego -- This savings-packed FREE brochure features almost 40 Fun, Fr-ee Things to do in San Diego. When heading to Southern California, attend concerts or visit a State
Historic Park and keep that cash in your pocket.

A Face-It Luggage tag makes it less likely for a stranger or thief to walk off with your luggage and helps you recognize your luggage at a glance in hotels or airports. Face-It Tags are also available for
briefcases, portfolio books, backpacks, sporting equipment, musical instruments, bicycles and more. Face-It Luggage Tags.

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